The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1887-03-17

murderer: and We know that no murders
hath eternal life abiding in him. i John
3-15.
The Christian life is one long struggle
requiring the most careful watching up
on the part of the soul that is on the
grand march toward the haven of peace
and rest prepared for the faithful chi
dren of God. There is not a day, nor {
moment, in the experience of any man OF
woman, no matter to what state OF grace
he or she may have attained, when it can
be said by either 81 k1aoeo that I shall not
fallp' AS long as we are in this world
we are on probation before God; as long
as we are in the flesh, we are clothed with
mortal weakness; as long as we have sin
full surroundings, and character that has
been heWn out of sinful world, we are
in danger of being tripped up by the
world, and losing much, or all, of our stock
of Divine grace. Paul, in contemplating
the prospect of death, said 81 have fought
a good fight" What was meant by that
declaration of faith? Not, of course, con-
slant conflict but certainly struggle,
while trusting the Master, and doing his
work. We may perhaps be pardoned for
suggesting that Paul was a very good
man. Yet there is an occasional spas
modic effort in these later years, to teach
that Paul was not truly good or he would
not have made use of such words. Many
a man now, similarly situated, would SIM
ply say, 'I have had a good time-not a
struggle; not the slightest necessity for
watching and praying; not the slightest
uneasiness as to the fate of my soul; l
talked with God, and he told me to lay all
my burdens upon Jesus; therefore 1 do
just as I please, and pile the load of guilt
and sin upon Jesus My life would be sin
full for some men-but l have reached
that state of grace where am absolutely
glorified on earthw
There is nothing in this wicked old
world that will make Satan chuckle so
gleefully as just such an argument as
that. 1t is just the line of work the Dew
il dotes on. and gloriies in. 1t is his plan
He loves to get his victims into that care
less condition in which they affect to be.
leve that they are walking so far above
the earth as to be triumphant over the
temptation or passion. Such a state of
mind removes the idea of responsibility
for sin, and that person believes that he,
can go right on lsinning, and the Savior
will come after him gathering up and car
rying away the trashy sins. In the light
of common sense and Bible teaching, such
an idea is monstrous.
A few years ago, in Massachusetts,, a
man who had studied upon the idea of
personal holiness until he became con-
vinced that he was as good a man as
Abraham, conceived the idea that the
Lord called upon him for the sacrificing
of his little daughter, and the result was,
a murder. Not many years ago, in Jack
son, we heard a minister from another
county proclaim the doctrine that the
earnest soul could bow before the Lord,
and "ask for what you want. and get it.
A short time afterWard we heard that
minister make one prayer nearly fifteen
long, and there was not thing
that he asked for that was granted just
then. The Lord answers prayer. But
his wisdom is far above the possible
grasp of our minds, and things that might
be considered by us as being for our good,
might not seem so to the All-Wise One.
The Lord is not running bank or cor
ner grocery. Matters possible to bring
about by our own efforts, he permits US
to work out for ourselves, and gives us
strength and wisdom to succeed. And III
the struggle for success, the motto which
should govern every life is she that exalt-
eth himself shall be abased."
We have known, and now know, many |
good men who have seemed to walk with |
God,' in that his commandments were
kept, to a great extent. But man of this |
class never boasts of it, and he is always |
humble and aightforward. The Chris |
tian life is growth i'll grace, and every |
Christian should endeavor to grow as rap
idly as possible. Some, therefore, are far
in advance of others, and every one ought
to be IN that condition where there not
Dniy would be no desire to sin, but pos
tive determination not to sin. We are,
as we heard a minister happily express it,
going to school to Cod But when
poor child of God gets promoted step
higher. we don't say that nothing further
ian be learned 10y that one, any more than
we would say that graduate OF the ordi
nary high school had acquired all knowl-
edge. We never cease to learn. There
should be no boasting of present surround
ngs. but constant looking to future
oys, and the fulfllment of present hopes.
Every man and every woman may live an
UPRIGHT Christian life. This is Il sacred
luty in the professed Christian. Let us
lot delude ourselves with the idea that
the world is not to judge u.s. We have
heard good brethren say, In class meeting
testimony: 81 am glad that the world
cannot judge me-" and we wondered what
hey were giving testimony for. If "ye
ire my witnesses" then we must testify
or God all along the way, and the world
s the great jury that is to sift the testi-
nony. Yet we have an all-wise and pure
Judge to try our causes, and d wrongful
verdict will promptly be set aside, and an
appeal given from every unjust decision
If earth. Our Father wants his children
% be judged by the world that the world
nay be impressed with his glory. The
way to bring out the beauties of right
,ousness, is to throw aside every trace of
jealousy, hatred, and all man
ler of sin, and live upright, manly, Chris
ian lives. A man who goes up to the
udgment with trace of hatred in his
leart, will be pretty apt to come down
again. God wants one grand, unselfish,
earnest, working church, glorifying him
n it's life.
Friends, the world knows whether
nan has religion or not. If you have sal
yation in your soul, the world knows it,
md respects you for it, and likes to hear
-,,, toll of II Rrnt If Won claim to l,o oh [